Believe In Jesus

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John 5:24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
This is the hope for the world. But, it's important to know that the Biblical concept of belief goes beyond the shallow Americanized definition of believing something. 

Jesus defines this in the same teaching:

John 5:44 “How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?
45 “Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust.
46 “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.
47 “But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

The belief salvation requires is a belief that changes our values and eventually our behaviors. Believing Jesus exists, or even that He is the Messiah promised to world, is different than believing every word He says is necessary for life and salvation.

The Jews "believed" in Moses and His writings. They were experts. But they didn't believe not conforming to them would cost them a relationship with God, which is what Moses said.
Today, you can ask Jesus to help you believe at a level that changes who you are and what you want your life to be. You can go deeper than believing facts and into believing He is the way, the truth, and the life. 

It's kind of like believing there is a Queen of England, which I do. But, I'm not a citizen of England. I don't believe in her leadership for me. Therefore, her leadership doesn't cost me anything, nor does it benefit me in any way. The benefits of the Queen of England's leadership are relatively small, and so is the cost. The benefits of Jesus' leadership are literally infinite, but so is the cost. You have to die to your own leadership to really believe in His. 

Many believe in Jesus in the same way they believe in a foreign leader. It won't help them a bit. You need to believe in Jesus as a citizen of His kingdom, not a bystander watching from another realm.

It is this deeper belief that saves, because it is this deeper belief that makes Jesus King of your life, not someone else's king.

James 2:18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!
20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
If you ask Jesus, He will help you believe.


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